


Long and Lost

by JoPoGirlsKickAss



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alive Starks (ASoIaF), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Family, Happy Starks (ASoIaF), Jon Snow cries, Siblings, Stark Family Reunion(s) (ASoIaF)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2020-03-20 03:44:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18984574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoPoGirlsKickAss/pseuds/JoPoGirlsKickAss
Summary: A rider approaches Winterfell and the dark and brooding Starks come alive in a way the North hadn't seen since before the start of the wars.





	Long and Lost

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kittenshift17](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kittenshift17/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Winter Storm](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13664931) by [Kittenshift17](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kittenshift17/pseuds/Kittenshift17). 



> Kittenshift17's "Winter Storm" is everything and you should go read it.

Lord—rather King Ned—despite his distain for the title, pulled his head away from the map, and his two eldest sons also looked up, and Princess Sansa (she preferred Lady) stood from her chair. It was the silence that had fallen that caught Gendry’s attention first. Glancing to Tormund, Davos, Beric, and the few other lords who’d made it to Winterfell, they all watched the Starks carefully for their sudden silence.

King Ned and Lord Commander Jon were staring hard at the entrance to the main hall, while Lord Robb and Lady Sansa seemed to be waiting for a queue from the other two. Gendry looked from the door, back to the Starks, he looked to Davos for a hint, but the old smuggler seemed just as lost as he was.

Gendry saw Tormund pull his hand axes from his belt, and he shifted closer to his own weapon, gripping the pommel of his hammer at the tension and anticipation that hung in the room. He caught Beric’s fingers twitching towards his sword out of the corner of his eye.

The door to their left bust opened with a crash of splintering wood as it broke against the stone. Gendry lifted his hammer as Tormund and Beric readied their weapons.

Gendry tried to make sense of the sight but it was a tangle of limbs and fur that darted past almost faster than the he could comprehend, but as the mass moved by, the faint ringing of a bell could be heard in the distance.

Gendry tensed, his grip on his hammer tightening.

“Rickon! Bran!” King Ned called for explanations as the guards at the other doors attempted to open them in time for the young Lords and their two direwolves.

“The lone wolf returns!” Bran called over his shoulder cryptically, or so Gendry thought, because before Gendry could process the meaning of the statement Lord Commander Jon acted in a way Gendry had never seen or thought capable. The young, stoic commander leapt onto the table without a moment’s hesitation, caring none for the map he sprinted across, before leaping back to the stonework and shooting after his brothers with Ghost mirroring his movements.

Gendry could only watch with confusion as Lady Sansa and Lady were on their heels, Lord Robb and Greywind overtaking the females in seconds. King Ned, for all his poise, shoved forward, his chair clattering to the floor as he limped as fast as he could after his children, the large, deadly quiet direwolf, Nymeria, at his side.

Tormund belted his axes and caught the King quickly, lifting one of his arms over his shoulder. Gendry tossed his hammer over his back and took up the King’s other side.

“The battlements, _please_.”

Gendry glanced at Tormund over the King’s head, but the red haired wilding wasn’t paying attention so Gendry turned back to the King and focused on matching the wilding’s pace.

As they were making their way across the yard shouts could be heard coming from the stables and Gendry and Tormund got the King to steps of the nearest battlement.

They made quick work of the steps, the usually very stoic and independent King not protesting as Gendry and Tormund practically carried him up the stairs. They reached the gatehouse quickly and found Lady Sansa and her wolf already leaning forward over the stonework.

The thundering of hooves and whinnying of horses made Gendry turn back to the yard. Four horses and their riders bolted from the stables, headed for the gate with four direwolves racing with them.

Gendry followed them as horses and wolves alike disappeared under the gatehouse for a moment before reappearing on the other side and racing forward across the snow covered ground.

“Go Nymeria.”

The silent direwolf moved without hesitation. The she-wolf leapt from where they stood to the lower stone work, before leaping to the yard and pivoting in a spray of mud, before tearing after the pack.

Gendry had never seen Kind Ned’s wolf run at her full speed, but it was clear she was the fastest of her siblings as she started to gain on them.

“ _Father_.” Lady Sansa whispered reaching out for her father’s arm and clutching it tightly, her eyes fixed on the horizon.

“I see it.”

Gendry followed their gaze and caught sight of a lone rider crested a top the hill that the King’s Road disappeared down.

The rider moved the horse forward from a walk into a flat out gallop faster than Gendry thought possible. The rider was careening toward Winterfell at a breakneck speed, the rider an extension of the horse, floating above the creature as they bolted towards the group of horses and direwolves.

A long low howl broke through the silence. Gendry realized it was the lone rider, their head thrown back, their face towards the sky as they called out in the way of the Stark sigil.

There was a howl in response, Lord Rickon—Gendry recognized the boy’s howl anywhere as he did it often, to the irritation of most other highborns. But what was more surprising was the howls of his siblings that rode along side him and the echoing of the wolves that raced across the frozen ground.

Gooseflesh rose along Gendry’s arms as the sound rolled across the grounds.

Lady lifted her head to the sky and let out a long low howl to join her siblings.

Lady Sansa and King Ned seemed equally surprised by the call of the most tamed direwolf, but then Lady Sansa lifted her chin and howled with her wolf.

Gendry met Tormund’s wide eyes, then flicked his eye to the King.

King Ned turned back to his sons who still rode hard and fast for the lone rider.

Lord Rickon was at the head of the group, Lord Commander Jon behind him, Lord Robb next, with Lord Bran bringing up the rear.

Gendry watched in horror and fascination as the approaching rider stood in the saddle. The figure shifted and their whole body was now on one side of the horse, their torso leaning across it to balance the steed as it ran. The distance between the riders was closing but neither group was slowing.

The rider gave a small leap and suddenly they were hanging from the saddle by two hands, and Gendry watched as in one fluid motion the riders collided, the lone rider shoving off from the saddle, hitting the ground running as the horse raced through the others, passing by all of them as it continued at full tilt, now riderless.

Lord Rickon had barely slowed his horse enough to dismount, practically leaping off his horse in a similar, but less graceful, manner as the lone rider. The young lordling crashed into the figure and they tumbled to the ground in a tangle of limbs, joined shortly by Shaggydog and Nymeria.

“Mika, my horse!” King Ned shouted turning round and making for the yard.

A young boy disappeared back into the stable and exited with four saddled horses. Tormund helped the King down to the yard and Gendry followed.

Gendry followed, he helped the Lady Sansa into her saddle before swinging up into the saddle of his own horse. He moved his horse to the other side of the King’s steed, and watched as the older Stark swung up into the saddle with more grace than Gendry thought possible with the injury he sported.

With barely a foot in the second stirrup the King had his horse in a slow gallop and Gendry and Tormund followed with Lady Sansa. It was obvious the speed pained the King, but he seemed determined to ignore it.

Gendry had never been too fond of riding as he wasn’t good at it, but he followed his King nonetheless.

They came upon the group shortly and Gendry saw Lord Rickon, Lord Bran, and Lord Robb piled on the ground their wolves circling them, prancing and nipping at the air, barking almost happily.

Gendry dismounted and held the reins of King Ned’s horse as Lady Sansa exited her saddle hurriedly and sprinted past them towards the center of the group. Once King Ned was on the ground he took a deep breath before pushing forward, Gendry close behind, but giving him enough space.

It was hard not to notice the broad grins across the faces of the Starks, Lady Sansa seemed to be crying through her tears, and Lord Robb also seemed to be wiping at his eyes. It was then that Gendry noticed how Lord Commnder Jon hung back with Ghost and Nymeria giving him partial cover from the group.

A strangled noise from King Ned drew Gendry’s immediate attention, and he turned back to his King to see him in a tight embrace with the rider.

Gendry began to feel uncomfortable, as though he was an intruder of this private reunion. But then the embrace ended and Gendry got a look at the lone rider and the air was knocked from his lungs.

The haunting grey eyes shined, and small, but strong hands moved to hold King Ned’s face and examine it carefully.

The King pressed his forehead into hers and they stayed like that a moment longer before pulling apart. King Ned shifted and Gendry swallowed at the sight of her, now a woman grown.

Gendry wasn’t sure what he was feeling. His emotions were a roiling mess and he was glad for the distraction as his gaze followed hers to where Lord Commander Jon stood, almost hiding behind the direwolves.

 _“Jon?”_ Despite the croak of the word, the voice was still strong.

“Arya.” The Lord Commander breathed.

“Jon!” The lean, fierce woman launched herself forward at the same moment her eldest brother did and they met in the middle. Arya was lifted off her feet and spun in a massive circle as the Lord Commander’s shoulders shook with quiet sobs. The two stopped moving, but Arya’s feet remained off the ground as the Lord Commander continued to hold her tightly, his face buried into the furs at her shoulders.

Gendry swallowed hard as Arya’s boots finally touched the earth minutes later, she and her brother pulled apart to examine each other for just a moment, to reassure themselves that they were real before coming together again in a heavy embrace. The other Starks were still grinning and crying and it was more emotion that any of the cold wolves had ever expressed, and it made him feel like even more of an intruder, yet Gendry couldn’t pull himself away from them, from her, from Arya.

Arya pulled away from her brother sharply and Gendry worried he’d said her name aloud, but none of the others looked to him.

Attempting to swallow around the lump in his throat Gendry watched as Arya scrutinized her family as if she felt strange eyes one her. Gendry willed himself to move as her head turned in his direction, he willed himself to turn away, but he was caught by her spell, caught by her being _alive_.

The fierce grey met his gaze and Gendry felt his heart seize at the beautiful sight of her, at the sight of her grey eyes and the fire of life that flash and flickered within them.

“Gendry..?”


End file.
